Driehaus Plans Budget Meeting

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Fresh
from a successful effort at stopping a budget amendment to block the
replacement of a deteriorating Cincinnati bridge, State Rep. Denise
Driehaus (D-31st District) will hold a town hall meeting
to discuss the Ohio budget with constituents.

Driehaus
marshaled forces in the Ohio House this week after she noticed an
amendment that affected the $66.5 million project had quietly been
added to the state budget bill by State Rep. Bob Peterson (R-85th
District).

Peterson's
amendment would've blocked state funding for the Waldvogel Memorial
Viaduct, also known as the Sixth Street Viaduct, unless Cincinnati
officials let one of Peterson's constituents, David Martin, build a
large barge terminal along the Ohio River in East Price Hill. After
Driehaus publicized the amendment, the House unanimously voted to
remove it from the bill.

Work
on the crumbling viaduct is scheduled to begin next month. It was
built in 1940 and underwent some repairs in 1995, but currently is
ranked as the bridge in the poorest condition in Southwest Ohio.

The
House approved a $55.6 billion, two-year budget Thursday in a 59-40
vote along party lines. The measure now goes to the Ohio Senate; a
state budget must be approved by June 30.

Driehaus
will hold a town hall meeting from 7-8 p.m. May 12 to discuss the
spending plan. It will be held at Carson School, 4323 Glenway Ave.,
in Price Hill. Paul Kostyu, of the Ohio
Consumers’ Counsel (OCC), will make a presentation at the session.

The
31st
House District includes western Cincinnati as well as Cheviot,
Addyston, Cleves, and North Bend.

The
proposed budget includes a 51.3 percent cut to the Consumers'
Counsel, which serves as the state
advocate for more than 4.5 million residential utility customers.
The cut's size is far larger than the
average budget reduction of 5 percent for all other state agencies in
the first year and a 1.4 percent increase in the second year.

Also,
the OCC dislikes several amendments that it believes will hinder its
ability to advocate for the most affordable utility rates.
Specifically, the amendments prohibit the OCC from taking positions
in support of the lowest costs with respect to natural gas rates, and
removes the OCC’s contact information from customer billing
notices.

Peterson's
unsuccessful amendment came after a jury in March rejected
most claims in a lawsuit filed against the city over the Martin's
stalled Queensgate
Terminals project. Martin sued after the city bought the 13-acre site
in 2007 and ultimately blocked his plans based on complaints from
residents in the Price Hill, Sedamsville and Riverside neighborhoods.

Martin
wanted to open a container-to-barge port there to transport soybeans,
but neighbors worried about increased truck traffic in the area.
Martin had sought $4.2 million in damages, but jurors awarded him
only $667,000. Martin wanted to open the port at the former Hilltop
Basic Resources parcel at 1911 River Road, but city officials
questioned the plan’s viability.

Martin
owns Bluegrass Farms, also known as Precision Seed Co., which
operates a large bulk processing facility for grain and seeds in
Jeffersonville, primarily handling soybeans. The proposed Cincinnati
terminal would help ship Martin's products.

Martin's
attorney is W. Stuart Dornette, who also represents the Bengals. The
terminal project's biggest supporter on City Council was Jeff
Berding, who is the Bengals' sales and marketing director. He
resigned from council earlier this year.

Peterson
lives in Fayette County, the same area where Martin's business is
located. Along with his brother, Peterson operates an 1,800-acre farm
that produces corn, soybeans, wheat, and
livestock. He was heavily backed by the Ohio Chamber of Commerce in
his state campaign.